While quantitative studies on the correlatives of unemployment abound, we possess far too little qualitative data on the day by day lives of unemployed people, and particularly long term (more than 27 weeks) unemployed people. The ongoing exploration is aimed at looking closely at the effect of unemployment on individuals and their families. Our purpose is to systematically record, over a three year period, the social psychological effects of unemployment. We will also be exploring the ways in which the unemployed and their families cope with the problems of unemployment. The method of investigation will consist of intensive and long term interviewing and observation. Approximately 125 families have been recruited for the study. These families represent the major groups of unemployed persons, notably the poor and working classes, although special attention will be paid to young and minority unemployment. The material generated from the interviews and observations will be analyzed in social psychological terms with the purpose of making generalizations and developing concepts about the relationships between the social and economic factors of unemployment on the one hand, and social psychological aspects of individual, family and community behavior, on the other. Ideally, the research will shed light on the intervening variables and processes that constitute the transition from having a job to becoming unemployed, as well as the experience of long term unemployment.